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Southeastern – we overcharge commuters


SOUTHEASTERN trains has admitted it charges customers too much to


travel into London from Kent on the Bearsted line. Commuters have long believed that fares from the station are dis- proportionately expensive. Now the rail company has con- firmed that the fares for the line, which runs through West Malling, Barming, Maidstone East, Holling- bourne, Harrietsham and Lenham – are “an anomaly”. However, the company claims it is powerless to change them be- cause of the effect it would have on its revenue projections.


in local MPs Helen Whately and Helen Grant.


BCG member Tony Fitzpatrick said: “It is utterly outrageous that they can admit there’s a problem, that in effect they are overcharging hundreds of passengers, yet they are unwilling to address that. “How can that possibly be ac- ceptable? The fact it affects the whole line, at least a dozen stations, is extraordinary.


But the Bearsted Commuter Group (BCG), formed at Southeast- ern’s suggestion to work with the rail company to address customers’ concerns, has said it will not let matters rest.


The group is drafting a letter to rail minister Claire Perry, copying


“Southeastern ended its last email to us by saying it was sorry it could- n’t write in positive terms. What I don’t understand is why it couldn’t. Surely if it recognises a problem, it should try to fix it?”


In his letter to the BCG, South- eastern’s Benjamin Ward admitted: “I accept there does appear to be an


anomaly in the system” and added: “With over 2,000 stations on the UK rail network there are hundreds of thousands of fares and fare combi- nations in the system. These contain a number of anomalies.”


He cited an example where, until a few years ago, a passenger want- ing to travel from London to Dover between October and March would have been better off buying a ticket to Calais. This was because the former British Rail also operated the cross- channel ferry services until the 1980s and used the reduced fare as a means of attracting additional business during the winter. Mr Ward said that as anomalies like these were discovered, they were corrected, where 6


Prostitution


fears for J8 site PROSTITUTES and illegal immi- grants could head for Hollingbourne if industrial development is allowed to go ahead near J8 of the M20. The starkwarning comes from Kent


Police which had issued a lengthy list of possible repercussions if develop- ment at the site is allowed to proceed. The warning that theft from – and


Pupils hold on to cricket title


ROSEACRE Primary School, Bearsted, retained its title as Maidstone Kwik Cricket champions when 20 schools competed at The Mote CC. The team defeated newcomers to the annual tournament, Marden, in the final and qualified for the Kent fi- nals in Canterbury. The plate competition was won by St Francis School with Brunswick


www.charterwood.co.uk


House runners-up. In a separate girls-only tourna- ment at Leeds and Broomfield CC, Roseacre again ended as winners with Palace Wood runners-up. Maidstone’s cricket development officer Phil Pass said the standard of batting, bowling and fielding in both tournaments showed rapidly improv- ing standards.


of – vehicles is likely to increase if Roxhill Developments is granted permission to develop land atWood- cut Farm, Ashford Road, comes within weeks of an anticipated an- nouncement from planning inspec- tor Katie Peerless over a site on


4


July 2015 No. 219 News


Immigration probe


A SEARCH took place to locate suspected illegal immigrants spotted on Bearsted Woodland Trust land. 4


Bring back festival


A WARD member has called on his colleagues on Maidstone Council to support a river festival in 2016.


5 Road scheme doubt


PROPOSED traffic improvements to the A20 Ashford Road through Harrietsham might no longer take place.


8 Council makes u-turn


LAND near M20 J8 has now been earmarked for eco- nomic development. 18


Crime Reports 40


POLICE were hunting for whoever was responsible for the theft of two rabbits in Bearsted.


Comment 42-4346-47


THE decision not to debate the demolition of the Russell Hotel is defended.


Obituaries 44 Parish Councils 54-55


THERE were too few councillors at Bredhurst to comment on a planning application; rats were causing problems in Detling; net- tles were posing a hazard in Downswood; off-road bikes were creating disruption in Holling- bourne; Nigel Godfrey had re- signed from Lenham after 20 years; Speed Watch volunteers were needed in Ulcombe.


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